Cooked more turkeys for Thanksgiving (next weekend here in Canada!) and Christmas than I care to remember....

I prefer a fresh, free-range one, not necessarily organic, bird in the 10-15 pound range.

Reserve the heart and liver, toss the rest of the giblets and 1.5 c. water into a pot and simmer on the stove for an hour or so, straining into a measuring cup, and put in the fridge. Skim off any fat and use the liquid for either gravy or to add to soup.

Roast the turkey breast down on a "rack" made from carrots and celery stalks, and stuff herbs (I like sage, rosemary, and a couple of bay leaves, along with an orange and a lemon, each cut in half and stuck inside the turkey. With about an hour left to go, turn the turkey onto his back. Pull it out of the oven, cover with foil and a big towel, and let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

I do a pork sausage/bread crumb/mushroom dressing, with finely chopped onion (red is fun!) and celery, in a covered casserole with the reserved heart and liver.

And turn the carcass into stock.

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I'm not one to believe in magic, but I sometimes have a second-sight....

(09-29-2012 06:33 PM)nettiesaur Wrote: I'll be cooking my second turkey ever on Thanksgiving, so I'd appreciate suggestions...and I know to take the giblets out of the cavity.

Good idea. I found out a couple years ago that they ALL have giblets...LOL

(09-30-2012 03:12 PM)2Beers Wrote: Brine the turkey the day before you roast it. I think there should be some wonderful recipes here in the brine section, if not just PM for mine.

Thanks 2B

(09-30-2012 10:29 AM)NWoBHM Wrote: The NWo household does Goose (only at Christmas), but that is the main eating event for Brits., except maye Lamb at Easter I suppose.

My MIL cooks Turkey, and places large flat mushrooms under the skin to keep the meat succulent, and that works well.

Mushroom...that's a unique idea!!

(09-29-2012 07:19 PM)knitterbookbinder Wrote: Cooked more turkeys for Thanksgiving (next weekend here in Canada!) and Christmas than I care to remember....

I prefer a fresh, free-range one, not necessarily organic, bird in the 10-15 pound range.

Reserve the heart and liver, toss the rest of the giblets and 1.5 c. water into a pot and simmer on the stove for an hour or so, straining into a measuring cup, and put in the fridge. Skim off any fat and use the liquid for either gravy or to add to soup.

Roast the turkey breast down on a "rack" made from carrots and celery stalks, and stuff herbs (I like sage, rosemary, and a couple of bay leaves, along with an orange and a lemon, each cut in half and stuck inside the turkey. With about an hour left to go, turn the turkey onto his back. Pull it out of the oven, cover with foil and a big towel, and let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

I do a pork sausage/bread crumb/mushroom dressing, with finely chopped onion (red is fun!) and celery, in a covered casserole with the reserved heart and liver.

We have a recipe we got from Graham Kerr many moons ago. He places a whole apple, onion and orange - along with a bundle of thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano - in the cavity. Then butter the skin and pat on a thin coat of flour. People will fight over the skin, seriously.

Brining the day before is a recent addition to the recipe. We add herbs and apple cider to the brine. Yum!